Thursday, January 26, 2017

Lantern Parade

Last week I went to Bedminster Lantern Parade, a procession of handmade lanterns and local bands through the streets of the Bedminster area of Bristol, put on to bring a little light and cheer to the winter darkness. It was sweet, uplifting, and very, very Bristol.

The colourful lanterns (made by local schools) ranged from an Alice in Wonderland theme with a spectacular giant tea pot lantern, to a Pikachu and Unikitty, and a magnificent dragon.

There was also a gigantic lantern of the Hindu god Rama, who was paraded to the sounds of Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline, in a classic "only in Bristol" moment. There were even some people in lederhosen. It was wonderful, and I got a little bit emotional about how diverse and inclusive and Bristolian it was. It really summed up what I love about this city-a jumble of different parts, which somehow make a beautiful whole.